Junior forward Kelli Veras (Trumbull, CT) and freshman forward Jillian Duran (Uncasville, CT) each netted a pair of goals to lead the Western Connecticut State University women's soccer team over visiting University of Massachusetts Boston, 4-0, tonight in the Little East Conference tournament semifinals. The Beacons finish their season with an 8-11-2 record, while the Colonials improve to 14-3-2 and will face Eastern Connecticut State University in the Little East Conference championship to be held on Saturday, November 8 at 6:00 p.m. at the Westside Athletic Complex in Danbury, CT in a re-match of last year's final. Eastern Connecticut was a 2-0 winner over Keene State College in the other semifinals match today.
Western Connecticut State got on the board following 52:41 of scoreless play when Veras headed a corner kick just over the outstretched hands of UMass Boston sophomore keeper Ashley McRoberts (Merrimack, NH) for her fourth goal of the year and a 1-0 edge. Junior midfielder Angela Wozniak (Ludlow, MA) registered her 10th assist on the season on the score, which snapped a scoreless streak of 257:30 for McRoberts.
The Colonials took a 2-0 lead when Veras netted her second goal of the night after senior forward Catherine Nathans (New Fairfield, CT) sent a cross from the left side of the box to the middle, where Veras put a foot on the ball and found the back of the middle of the net at the 62:50 mark of the second half.
Western Connecticut State increased its lead to 3-0 when junior midfielder Nicole Sieber (Newtown, CT) found Duran in a scramble in front of the net for her second goal of the season at 71:35 of the second half. Duran netted her second goal of the night at 81:25 when sophomore forward Tina Dias (Shelton, CT) lofted a cross from 20 yards out that Duran was able to get a head on as the UMB keeper came out of the net to meet the ball, but was just late.
The Colonials' defense was suffocating, allowing just two shots on the evening, while the Colonials fired 30 times on UMB.
The Beacons' first scoring chance of the match came on a shot from the top of the 18-yard marker when junior forward Kristi Morales (San Francisco, CA) put a shot on net that was hauled in by senior keeper Shannon Cawley (Willimantic, CT) at 68:12 of the second half.
McRoberts made some outstanding saves for UMass Boston, stopping a season-high 13 shots on the evening, while Cawley turned away both shots she faced to register her ninth shutout of the season.